Hitman 2

Intel Core i5-14400F paired with Intel Arc B570 delivers a distinctly mixed experience in Hitman 2, with the data revealing a configuration that struggles at higher resolutions but shows competence at 1080p. The combo ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested configurations, placing it in the lower third of all systems benchmarked, a position driven primarily by the GPU's inability to sustain playable frame rates beyond Full HD. While the CPU demonstrates ample headroom, the graphics card becomes the definitive bottleneck as pixel count rises, making this pairing suitable only for specific use cases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, clearly identifying the GPU as the limiting component. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 70 FPS average, which drops to 45 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 24 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 66% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at the same settings, a severe scaling curve that points to the Arc B570 hitting its rendering ceiling early.

The pattern intensifies at Ultra settings, where the frame rate falls from 52 FPS at 1080p to 33 FPS at 1440p and 18 FPS at 4K — the latter figure being below the threshold for smooth gameplay by any standard. Even at Low settings, where the CPU could theoretically take over, the scaling remains poor: 123 FPS at 1080p drops to 79 FPS at 1440p and 42 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result being just 34% of the 1080p Low figure indicates that the GPU's raw throughput, not CPU limitations, governs performance at higher resolutions.

The resolution scaling behavior suggests that the Arc B570's 160-bit memory bus and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth become saturated quickly when pixel count increases. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are respectable for 1080p but insufficient for the 8.3 million pixels at 4K. Consequently, users targeting 1440p or above will face significant compromises in settings just to approach playable frame rates, while 1080p remains the only resolution where this combo performs comfortably.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, is the primary determinant of this combo's gaming performance. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for 1080p but becomes a constraint at higher resolutions. The GPU's 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units deliver 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, yet the measured results show this hardware struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p Medium (59 FPS average).

The clock behavior is notable: both base and boost clocks are fixed at 2500 MHz, indicating a flat frequency curve that does not adapt to workload demands. This static clocking means the GPU cannot dynamically increase performance under load, which partially explains the sharp frame rate drops at higher resolutions. The memory clock of 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective) is similarly fixed, and the 10 GB capacity, while sufficient for Hitman 2's requirements, does not compensate for the bandwidth limitations.

The GPU's benchmark scores contextualize its performance: 14195 in Passmark G3D and 7281 in Passmark GPU Compute, with a percentile ranking of 65th among all GPUs. It sits closest to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1) and Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -0.1), indicating similar overall capability in synthetic tests. However, in Hitman 2 specifically, the Arc B570's architectural characteristics — particularly its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface and dual-slot design — do not translate into competitive frame rates at demanding settings, with 4K Ultra producing just 18 FPS average.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides substantial processing power that remains underutilized in this configuration. With 10 cores and 16 threads across a Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process, the CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 give it ample headroom for gaming workloads. The base clock of 2.50 GHz boosts up to 4.70 GHz, and its 65 W TDP indicates efficient power delivery.

The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate its capability: 21645 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3055 in single-core, with a Passmark multithread score of 25470 and single-thread score of 3701. These figures place the i5-14400F in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (deltaPct 0.1) and Intel Core i9-11900 (deltaPct 0.2), showing the i5-14400F performs on par with or slightly better than these alternatives.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is largely behind the scenes, as the frame rate data shows no signs of CPU bottlenecking. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the combo achieves 123 FPS — a figure that would be constrained by CPU limits if the processor were the weak link. The 16 threads handle the game's simulation and AI tasks without issue, and the 2.50 GHz base clock ensures stable performance across all cores. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking versus the GPU's 65th percentile confirms the imbalance: the processor is proportionally stronger than the graphics card, making the GPU the clear performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2399 out of 3001 tested configurations places this pairing in the 20th percentile of all systems, indicating below-average overall performance for Hitman 2. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's limitations, as the CPU alone would rank much higher in isolation. The delta between the CPU's 83rd percentile and the combo's 20th percentile ranking highlights how the Arc B570 drags down the overall result.

When examining the GPU's nearest rivals, the Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and Intel Arc A750 (20582), yet in Hitman 2 the measured frame rates suggest these similar-scoring GPUs might deliver different experiences due to architectural differences. The CPU's nearest rivals all score within 0.5% of the i5-14400F's 32279 average, confirming the processor is not the differentiator in this combo's low ranking.

The 3001 total combos represent a wide range of hardware pairings, and this configuration's position at 2399 indicates it falls behind many systems with more balanced GPU-CPU pairings or stronger graphics cards. The data suggests that users seeking higher rankings would benefit more from upgrading the GPU than the CPU, as the i5-14400F already provides sufficient headroom for more powerful graphics hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where all settings remain at least playable, with Low achieving 123 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, High 70 FPS, and Ultra 52 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (79 FPS) and Medium (59 FPS) exceed 30 FPS, while High drops to 45 FPS and Ultra to 33 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and within 0.1% of the Intel Arc A750 (20582). Its Passmark G3D score of 14195 and percentile ranking of 65th confirm it sits in the mid-range of GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile with an average benchmark score of 32279, while the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile with 20556. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows severe drops (70 to 24 FPS at High settings), indicating GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints.

Q: What settings are recommended for 1440p gameplay?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings provide the best balance with 59 FPS average and a minimum of 50 FPS. Low settings achieve 79 FPS but sacrifice visual quality, while High (45 FPS) and Ultra (33 FPS) dip below smooth thresholds.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: No, the data shows 4K performance is inadequate across all settings. At 3840x2160, Low achieves 42 FPS, Medium 32 FPS, High 24 FPS, and Ultra 18 FPS. Even the lowest settings do not reach the 60 FPS target, making 4K impractical for this configuration.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The i5-14400F scores 32279 on average, placing it within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233) and within 0.2% of the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226). It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32354) by 0.2%, showing consistent mid-range CPU performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured results show severe performance limitations across all settings. Low settings produce 42 FPS average, Medium produces 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 and maximum of 36, High drops to 24 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 18 FPS. None of these figures reach the 60 FPS threshold, and only Low exceeds 40 FPS, making 4K gaming unfeasible for this combo.

At 2560x1440, performance improves but remains mixed. Low settings deliver 79 FPS, Medium achieves 59 FPS with a range of 50 to 68 FPS, High produces 45 FPS, and Ultra falls to 33 FPS. The Medium preset offers the only combination of decent frame rate and visual fidelity, while Low provides a smooth experience at the cost of graphical detail.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs best. Low settings reach 123 FPS, Medium hits 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 106, High achieves 70 FPS, and Ultra produces 52 FPS. The jump from Ultra to Low represents a 137% increase in frame rate, showing that settings have a substantial impact at this resolution. The Medium preset's minimum of 79 FPS ensures consistent performance, while High's 70 FPS remains smooth for most gameplay scenarios.

The data reveals a clear pattern: each resolution step from 1080p to 1440p to 4K roughly halves the frame rate at equivalent settings. For example, High settings go from 70 to 45 to 24 FPS, while Low goes from 123 to 79 to 42 FPS. This consistent halving suggests the GPU's rendering capacity scales linearly with pixel count, confirming its role as the limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

For optimal experience, the data supports 1920x1080 as the primary resolution for this combo, with Medium settings providing the best balance of performance and visual quality at 93 FPS average and 79 FPS minimum. Users prioritizing smoothness over visuals can drop to Low for 123 FPS, while those wanting maximum fidelity can select High at 70 FPS, which remains above the 60 FPS target. Ultra at 52 FPS is only suitable for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate stability.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the only viable option for consistent gameplay, delivering 59 FPS average with a 50 FPS minimum. Low settings at 79 FPS offer a smoother experience but remove many graphical enhancements. High and Ultra at 45 and 33 FPS respectively are not recommended for action-oriented stealth gameplay, as frame rate dips below 40 FPS can impair responsiveness.

For 3840x2160, no settings configuration provides an acceptable experience. The highest frame rate achievable is 42 FPS at Low settings, which still falls below the 60 FPS standard and suffers from minimal visual quality. Users should avoid 4K with this combo entirely, as even the lowest settings cannot compensate for the GPU's bandwidth and compute limitations at this pixel density.

Overall, the combination of Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B570 in Hitman 2 is best utilized at 1080p with Medium or High settings, where the CPU's headroom and GPU's capabilities align to produce smooth, responsive gameplay. The data does not support this combo for higher resolutions, and users seeking 1440p or 4K performance would need to consider alternative GPU configurations.